At church today we listened to a sermon on why God would send his Son as a baby. Of all the ways Jesus, being God, could have come into the world… A Baby. I have written my perspective before about this Baby that was laid in a manger, and what II Cor 5:21 really means in the reality of Jesus coming to this earth.
I think about Mary. A teen facing the stigma of being pregnant before marriage, and she chose to be obedient to God and accept the plan he had for her. After the angel left her. I wonder was there fear and uncertainty. Sure she was obeying God, but she had stood to lose everything.
But, As God continues to move me through the process of understanding the Spiritual battle Men must step up to, I could not help but wonder about the story of Jesus’ birth in a little bit different way. What of the man chosen to be the earthly dad to Jesus as he grew up. Joseph. What can we as men learn about his response to Mary, his future wife, being pregnant?
This is what we know about Joseph:
Matthew 1:
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Imagine Joseph’s reaction when he found out Mary was pregnant? The questions he asked Mary, and maybe the questions unasked. The confusion and maybe some anger. But Joseph was a good Jewish Man so he did what the law allowed, but showed his compassion toward Mary by not calling her out publicly. God had other plans, and Joseph chose to follow…
Men it is pretty simple God has a plan for us when it comes to the women in our lives. No matter the situation, no matter how angry or frustrated we get. Even though we may want to walk away… God has other plans, it is up to us to cho0se to follow…
